Todd Murray
Croon: When a Whisper Became a Song
February 17, 2015
Reviewed by Elliot Zwiebach for Cabaret Scenes
Todd Murray is a sublime singer whose voice is like comfort food for the ears — a smooth baritone that makes every song an event in which to luxuriate.
The CD, whose full title is Croon: When a Whisper Became Song, includes most of the music Murray has been doing in his cabaret act the past several years without the connecting patter, backed by lush accompaniment by the same trio of musicians who have been touring with him: Alex Rybeck on piano, Steve Doyle on bass and Sean Harkness on guitar. The three musicians also provide surprisingly strong backup vocals throughout the recording.
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As Murray did in his cabaret show, also titled Croon, the CD is designed to demonstrate the influence of microphones on the way singers sing—allowing them to adopt a more intimate, heartfelt style than was previously required in an unamplified era.
This recording is filled with a collection of great standards, starting with a soft, intimate medley combining “Lover” (Rodgers and Hart) and “I Wanna Be Loved” (Johnny Green/Edward Heyman/Billy Rose), and closing with a lush medley linking “How Deep Is the Ocean (How High Is the Sky)” (Irving Berlin) and “I Wish You Love” (Albert Beach/Leo Chauliac/Charles Trenet).
Along the way there’s a dreamy, flawless take on “The Nearness of You” (Hoagy Carmichael/Ned Washington) which serves as a salute to the first crooner, Bing Crosby, a brief but amusing “Learn to Croon” (Sam Coslow/Arthur Johnston) that includes some of Crosby’s trademark “bah-bah-bah-boos,” a sweet, gentle “You Are Too Beautiful” (Rodgers and Hart), with lovely instrumental work by all three musicians, and a bouncy “Whispering” (John Schoenberger/Richard Coburn/Vincent Rose) featuring terrific vocal harmonies by the trio.
There’s also a swinging version of “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” (Duke Ellington/Bob Russell), featuring solid bass playing by Doyle, a tender “You’ll Never Know” (Harry Warren/Mack Gordon), a moody, rangy “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps” (Osvaldo Farres/Joe Davis), and a seamless pairing of two Elvis Presley hits: a soft, simple “Love Me Tender” (George Poulton/W.W. Fosdick), which morphs into a smooth, deep-voiced “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (George Weiss/Hugo Peretti/Luigi Creatore) with solid instrumental and vocal support from the musicians.
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Also included are a swinging version of “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” (Cole Porter), featuring brief solo licks by Rybeck, Doyle and Harkness, a playful, bossa-tinged take on “If Ever I Would Leave You” (Lerner and Loewe), and an intense “This Guy’s in Love with You” (Burt Bacharach/Hal David).
Murray explores rhythm and blues with a dynamic “You’ll Never Find Another Love like Mine” (Kenny Gamble/Leon Huff), offers a declarative “I’m Your Man” (Leonard Cohen), and sings his own lyrics, about lost love, to Rybeck’s music in an original song called “And I’m Leaving Today.”